Our second drive and Did we do the right thing ?

R

Ruskii

Well-Known Member
Jun 21, 2000
6,212
732
113
UK
:D

Driving just keeps getting better and better.

Daughter is back at school today so this only gave my husband and I one chance to get out on the carriage together before I go back to work. Decided to head to the forest and brave the crab flies (he hates them and will do handstands sometimes in his field if he has them), I don't know some of the area that well but my husband does from his days of keeping his horse in this area and knew where the steep hills were and what to avoid.

Horse unfortunately was slipping all over the roads, the road out of the village is dreadful and super shiny, he hasn't got road nails on but he definitely needs them and he was worried about it ad he was taking very small steps and pooing a lot as we headed down some of the small hills despite me holding the carriage back on the brakes he was still a little nervy, we did pull in on two occasions to let some lorries past, we went past a school and some children came rushing up to see him he turned and looked at them but didn't care.

Out to the enclosures :D What a glorious day it was and yes we picked up some normal flies but nothing that his tail couldn't sort and we passed a lot of dog walkers, ramblers and and some cyclists. Had some lovely trots (I'm learning about the different paces of trot he has !) and it was beautiful in there, he was a little out of breath at the top of some hills but not badly at all.

On all the roads I kept him to a walk as it was slippy and the camber of the road is dreadful in some parts, he keeps hanging to the right and I had to keep bringing him over again so were not in the middle of the road on the way home !

Going home on the roads he was like a snail as I knew he wasn't happy with the road, I could hear his hind feet slipping under him a lot, so we inched along at the pace he felt happy at - until he spotted GOATS. :eek: These heading out he didn't look at but coming home his reaction was 'ZOMG' - I had a good contact though and all he did was jog on a little.

Coming home on the yard, there is a hill with a steep bit, he struggled to get up this, he put his down right into the breast plate and gave a good heave but he weaved left then right so I stopped him, husband held his head whilst we put the park brake on so I could get out safely, then he took my horses head and I got behind the carriage to help him push it up with him. When it flattened out enough we hopped in.

I know we did the right thing helping him up, but next time would it be better to help him by going at it at a trot from the base of the hill ? As we were walking up so I think that didn't help matters.

We thoroughly enjoyed it though and it's lovely getting out and about him again :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kite_Rider and domane
Oh you are REALLY motivating me to save up for a decent harness and a nice exercise cart for Albi.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ruskii
I can if you like :) I enjoy keeping them online as I have a record of them, maybe I should start a diary thread on here to save clogging up this section - oops :p

No piccies today as were against the clock but when my friend comes back from her holiday, I'll get some then :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: domane
always take a hill at a good trot, With experienced harness horses "springing" hills is what happens, (Taking them at a bit of a canter) Never take a hill in walk.


Road nails or studs are a good plan too
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ruskii
Thanks Wally, I was hoping you'd answer. I hope to get out again with him soon but it might be another week or so until then. But he's having the farrier this week so it'll be sorted in time for him to be out next time.
 
Good boy! It's such a lovely way to get out in the countryside.
As Wally said never walk up a hill, they find it much easier in trot as they have more impulsion from behind and really put their backs into it. Pif & Paf do most of their driving in trot anyway and are insanely fit for ponies of their type but we do try and give them a good run-up for steeper hills - not quite canter as we're all roadwork, but a good whizzy trot. Shorter, steeper hills actually take less out of them than longer, more gradual ones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kite_Rider and Ruskii
Well written, as a new driver I was also able to imagine your drive along. Didn't know about approaching a big hill at trot, so i've just learnt something new. I kept counting my number of drives, once I got over drive number 10 I lost count. I reckon I must have done about 30-40 drives now over the last few months. It such fun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ruskii
You're right KP, He's not fazed by much at all, the most he does is give the The Eye of Doom (Which he did give to some sandbags holding a sign up) but he's always been a placid easy boy who just needs a few reminders on manners occasionally :D

Yesterday turned into an impromptu riding lesson for my daughter, I had my hat in the car so she had that on and had a pootle around the field holding on to her "reins" (read leadrope clipped around his neck) even bareback and going for a little trot he does the most sedate trot and the grin of my daughter could have been seen a mile of, he's a lovely boy who looks after us all. I just wish I had done this sooner !!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kite_Rider
joosie said:
Good boy! It's such a lovely way to get out in the countryside.
As Wally said never walk up a hill, they find it much easier in trot as they have more impulsion from behind and really put their backs into it. Pif & Paf do most of their driving in trot anyway and are insanely fit for ponies of their type but we do try and give them a good run-up for steeper hills - not quite canter as we're all roadwork, but a good whizzy trot. Shorter, steeper hills actually take less out of them than longer, more gradual ones.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice, I didn't know that about hills and deliberately chose a route that had longer shallower hills on it rather than a route home that had one big one (it is on a road though so you'd have the traffic building up behind) I might pop out on my bike this weekend and go have a look at another local drive.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back